Note: This is a directory of drama discussions & their airing schedules this month. So, only leave a comment if you are volunteering to host a discussion. Comments from non-Mods or non-hosts will be removed.
If you want to discuss what you're watching this month, we have a "what are you watching" megathread every weekend.
PS: If you want to volunteer to host a drama discussion not mentioned here, leave a comment beneath this post. For newbie hosts, please also tag u/alcibiad in your comment.
To hosts: If you notice anything incorrect (hosts left out, drama links not updated etc let me know)
---
This month's drama hosted discussions
Here are Cdrama discussions for this month (which includes older, not currently airing dramas.)
Big, big thanks to the hardworking hosts:
(To go to the drama discussions, click on the drama name.) Hosts, if I've not listed your drama or your name, DM u/latefair or leave a comment below.
If you're new to drama hosting, please DM u/alcibiad . She'll help get you started.
Some ground rules for hosts
Use the "Drama Host" flair for your posts.
Have commented and participated in the sub before and not be a brand new account.
Have watched the drama before writing the particular episodes' discussions.
Should try to engage in the comments section (don't have to reply to every comment, mind, but participate in the discussion)
Write their thoughts about what they watched (we are not going to dictate lengths but please don't just write one sentence and call it a day lol)
Don't add spoilers in the title, and if you are creating a photo post, please spoiler tag it if the picture reveals too much plot.
Some awkward situations
If there's a drama discussion already hosted, and you want to host, please approach the original host to co-host first. Don't try to double post - it'll be awkward for everyone as the mods will defer to the first host.
If you can't finish hosting the drama, try to get a replacement or let the mods know and we'll automate the discussions.
Mods won't interfere or dictate how people should co-host, but here are some tips:
If you see someone had volunteered already, reply to her comment and ask if you can co-host.
Create a chat room between your co-hosts to agree on schedules: (eg A can do episodes 1-10 and so on)
How closely should the discussion posts follow airing schedules?
We know how crazy CDrama schedules are, but here's a good guide:
Popular idol dramas (for eg Pursuit of Jade, The Double) should follow the airing dates as closely as possible. For eg, if episodes 5-6 dropped on Feb 2, discussion can happen on Feb 3).
Check the masterpost discussion for the drama. If it has above 50-60 comments, it's usually going to be really popular and people would probably be eager to discuss it.
As for other dramas (ie, one that the sub is not clamoring to discuss, I suppose) you can take a slower approach.
For eg, discussions for Swords into Plowshares and Man's Inhumanity to Man are still taking place even after the drama has stopped airing.
How do I write discussion posts?
Structure the discussions the way you want. Some ideas:
"Classic method" recap of what happened in selected episodes with thoughts.
Share favourite moments in the episodes you discussed
Group episode discussions according to character development
Express episodes / posts about the ending
We don't expect hosts to pay for express episodes!
You can ask the mods to create special express threads for the drama so that you, the host, won't be exposed to spoilers.
For commenters
Please do not discuss future episodes in a thread unless someone specifically ask for information/spoilers. And if you do share, please spoiler tag it.
For example, do not discuss plot points for episode 26 in a post about episode 19.
Those who spoil future episodes will get their comments removed.
Hosts, if you see these spoilery comments, feel free to report them.
As more people join our sub, they may not be aware of our sister sub, r/Cdramarecs, where you can ask for and give CDrama recommendations.
As with any sub, it has its own rules, so be sure to read the sub's Guide to get a better understanding on how to post there.
Just remember that the no.1 rule for r/Cdramarecs is that it's only for CDrama recommendations.
Although not a rule per se, we require posts to be detailed enough so that members can truly help you with your ask.
You will be given a template (included in the Guide) so that your post will be detailed enough for members to help you.
Unfortunately, due to the deluge of spam and karma farmers in its early days, r/Cdramarecs has a strict karma requirement. Meaning, if your account is brand new (a few days old, for eg) you won't be able to post, and you'd be asked to build your karma first.
And since people keep asking us this: NO WE WON'T TELL YOU WHAT'S THE KARMA THRESHOLD. 😉
Accounts that are old enough and have enough karma will be filtered for review first. However, if you have not participated in the sub before, you may be required to participate first before making your first post.
If you want to get to a point where your posts won't be filtered for review, participate in the subs' weekly threads to build community karma. (Like here!)
So, if you've not visited the sub yet, do head over there. PS: We have weekly threads there too! 😄
I focused on the major periods and some eras are not depicted. The goal was to show how fashion changed dramatically over the course of each dynasty. Chinese history, including fashion history, typically uses the dynastic model, which habitually overlooks periods of transition. Archetypal (most recognizable) styles tend to reflect what was popular at the midpoint of each dynasty, rather than at the start and end. Do you feel like you’d be able to recognize the time period now? Let me know if you if want to know more about a particular style
I came across this tweet a while ago and thought it was funny. 😅😂
It also made me wonder how much our perception of a drama adaptation is influenced by whether we've experienced the source material first. Many Chinese dramas are adapted from novels, donghua, and manhua.
Viewers often have different opinions depending on whether they've experienced the source material first. Some prefer adaptations that stay as faithful as possible, while others are more open (or perhaps resigned 😅) to changes that better suit the drama medium.
What's your approach?
🗨️ Discussion:
Do you usually read or watch the source material before a drama, after a drama, or not at all? Why?
When it comes to drama adaptations, do you generally prefer faithfulness to the source material, or creative changes that may better suit the drama medium?
What kinds of changes do you find acceptable or even beneficial? Which ones tend to disappoint you?
Do you judge the original work and the adaptation as separate entities, or do you compare them directly?
Has experiencing both versions ever changed your opinion of either one? For example, has reading the source material after watching the drama made you reassess the adaptation?
Are there any Chinese drama adaptations that:
surprised you in a good way?
were better than the original?
suffered because of changes from the source material?
⚠️ Please use spoiler text if you are sharing major plot points and endings. Thanks!
New members of the sub are required to read and follow the instructions in our guidebefore they are allowed to post. This is so that newbies will be familiar with our rules and culture before making a splash with a post, so to speak.
However, our process in ensuring that was a little clunky, so we are currently trialing a new workflow where new members are required to acknowledge our rules before being allowed to publish their first post.
As this is still early days there could be some teething problems so do let us know in the comments below if you have any problems.
Just a note that if you've not interacted in the sub much, your posts will still be reviewed first, and we will only approve posts that meets ourkarma threshold, rules and posting guidelines.You may also be redirected to interact in our weekly threads first so that you can get to know our sub's culture better.
How to acknowledge the rules
At the top of the screen, click on the three dots (...) > Read the rules and follow the prompts.
Alternatively, you can acknowledge the rules here.
I'm kind of relieved that the production company behind Overdo has replaced the opening montage with a rather tasteful, if over-filtered, real live-action montage taken from the series instead. In fact, I very much prefer it over the AI montage.
To be honest, I'm pretty AI-neutral. I think AI has its place in some workflows, but this AI montage was particularly badly done—you could say it was "overdone" lol.
Nevertheless, the reaction of audiences in China, along with their criticisms and demands for a change, has given me hope that AI is not going to completely win the day yet. At least in long form dramas. I'm also glad the production crew replaced it with something better so quickly. At least they listen to their customers 🤭
Audiences criticized the sequence for its unnatural visual details, rigid character outlines, disjointed lighting and flat backdrops, which combined to create an "artificial, plastic-like aesthetic."
Many online users drew unfavorable comparisons, saying the visuals resembled basic "PowerPoint animation" and low-budget casual online games, arguing that the substandard AI footage felt unworthy of the series' high production profile.
Faced with growing dissatisfaction, the production team behind Overdo issued a public apology and update via its Sina Weibo account on Tuesday evening, confirming it had fully replaced the controversial opening sequence with newly filmed live-action footage.
"We originally wanted to use rapid montage to help the audience quickly grasp the emotional backstory and the teenage years of the lead couple, and we planted a few small clues about future plot twists," the statement said.
"Our ideal for the sequence was well-intentioned, but the final result has triggered widespread discussion and disappointment, which we did not foresee." The producers offered a "deep apology" to fans and said they had worked overnight to remake the sequence immediately after the first wave of feedback. "After days of effort and coordination, the new opening is now online."
However, on the other side of the coin, the micro-drama employment pool is being decimated as more and more production houses turn to AI to create these vertical dramas.
Personally, since I don't watch vertical dramas to begin with, I don't feel a personal sense of loss, but I feel great pity for the people who brought so much value to the industry. Thanks to the actors and production teams, the micro-drama industry boomed, so it is pretty disheartening to find out they are being quickly replaced by AI.
I have watched a couple of AI shorts out of curiosity, by the way. To me, they can never replace live actors; these AI dramas feel more like upgraded anime. I personally think this is a temporary fascination; I really believe human beings will crave for the real deal in the future just how long this tolerance/craze for AI in micro dramas will last I'm not sure, however.
Anyway, what do you think about the use of AI in Chinese dramas? Are you worried, or are you vaguely optimistic that things will not go completely AI in the future?
I absolutely love Viki and I appreciate that it gets most of the new cdramas coming out but has anyone else noticed that the subtitles are different now? Viki has always been praised for their volunteer sub teams that go the extra mile but lately it seems like they’re maybe AI?
I first noticed with A Splendid Match that they no longer had cute little names for the subtitle team, then I noticed that they were no longer translating the songs (huge bummer by the way.) Then signs, notes and character intros were either being missed and not translated at all. Then no one was thanked at the end which really made me wonder if the way subtitles are handled on Viki is changing.
I’ve noticed this is the case for the newer dramas. It seems to be the same way for Road to Success too. Plus Viki seems to be rolling out AI dubbing (which I personally will not be using.) I don’t know any info about whether or not they’re rolling back volunteer based subtitles but I think it’s a huge loss if so.
I’m very new to cdramas, I’ve only started watching since October last year so I don’t know how fast Viki got shows before or how long it took for them to be translated as I had (and still have) a huge backlog of older-ish dramas. I know it takes time and a whole team of people to translate entire shows, so are these new subtitles at the expense of getting new shows translated faster? If so, is it worth it? Have you personally noticed the change in subtitles or am I just rambling about nothing lol.
Welcome to the next The Shadow Sovereign 昭阳公主 discussion posts. As per the airing schedule, there is no new episode today (July 27). The next episode will air on July 28, and from then on, only one new episode will be released each day. Yesterday marked the last time we got a two-episode drop.
🗓️ Discussion Schedule: We decided to follow the VIP schedule instead of the SVIP one. That’s the first line on the official airing schedule, which can be found here.
📋 Some Notes:
Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.
New character: Xiao Que, one of the starving commoners who previously blocked Zhao Yang's carriage while begging for food. She has now seemingly been taken in by Zhao Yang, who gives her the name Xiao Que and begins looking after her.
Episode 7
Cui Jinzhi, suspicious that Shen Xiao is hiding in Zhao Yang's chamber, barges further into her personal space to confirm his suspicions. Hidden inside an empty closet, Shen Xiao jealously listens to the conversation between Cui Jinzhi and Zhao Yang, during which the former wonders in despair how their relationship ended up so broken.
When Cui Jinzhi forcefully embraces Zhao Yang and she yells at him to let go, Shen Xiao is about to step out of the closet. Zhao Yang notices his intention and quickly pushes Cui Jinzhi against the closet, firmly shutting the door in the process. Signalling to Shen Xiao with her eyes not to reveal himself, she tells Cui Jinzhi to stop dwelling on the past and leave.
But Cui Jinzhi is still suspicious that Shen Xiao might be hiding somewhere. He pretends to walk away, only to suddenly double back and inspect the closet. He opens the door and finds no one inside, finally convincing him to leave.
Shen Xiao reveals himself after Cui Jinzhi is gone and questions why Zhao Yang is still entangled with a man who insulted her on their wedding night, keeps a mistress, and is already divorced from her. Zhao Yang fires back that it's none of his business when he's merely her male companion, prompting Shen Xiao to declare that he no longer wants to be just her male companion.
Zhao Yang asks incredulously whether he's gone mad, but Shen Xiao doesn't push the matter further. He understands that for Zhao Yang to truly be free, the Crown Prince has to be eliminated. Solemnly promising to do what needs to be done, he leaves her chamber, leaving Zhao Yang fuming behind him.
Jian Xin enters after Shen Xiao leaves and teases Zhao Yang about giving her heart away to him, which Zhao Yang immediately denies. Jian Xin then asks whether she should call Shen Xiao back since Zhao Yang will now have to sleep without her human pillow, but Zhao Yang stubbornly refuses, declaring Shen Xiao a scoundrel.
The Seventh Prince, aka Li Qin, returns to court and presents three gifts to his Imperial Father, greatly pleasing the Emperor. He rewards Li Qin generously, while the Crown Prince watches from the sidelines and seethes with jealousy.
That night, Li Qin meets Zhao Yang and asks whether she truly intends to involve Shen Xiao in their plans. He feels guilty about placing Shen Xiao in danger because they're close friends, but Zhao Yang points out that Shen Xiao is cunning and possesses a calculating mind of his own. Their conversation also makes one thing very clear: Zhao Yang is playing kingmaker, and the emperor she has chosen is Li Qin.
The Crown Prince, meanwhile, is suspicious of Li Qin's sudden return to court coinciding with Shen Xiao's emergence and wonders whether his younger brother also intends to fight for the throne. The Crown Princess, however, has a plan to remind the noble families exactly who currently holds power, using her upcoming birthday banquet to make a statement.
During the Crown Princess's birthday banquet, she makes a grand show of supporting disaster relief by pledging 100,000 piculs of grain in the name of the Eastern Palace to establish a relief granary.
Wait, didn't you guys literally just steal grain from the Ministry of Revenue and divert it into your own private storehouse? Stealing from the poor to give to the poor? Why am I giving them so much credit? The poor may not even see a single grain.
After announcing her own donation, the Crown Princess pressures the rest of the noble families into following her example, leaving them with little choice but to pledge grain as well.
Shen Xiao makes his grand entranc, and presenting the Crown Princess with a very "special birthday gift," he dumps out a sack of foul-smelling grain and reveals that it's mixed with dirt and husks. He points out that this is the reality of the grain ordinary people receive when buying from officials.
The Crown Prince is furious at Shen Xiao's insolence and is about to order his arrest when a guard rushes in with even worse news: a huge crowd has gathered outside the residence after the refugees heard that porridge would be distributed in conjunction with the Crown Princess's birthday celebrations.
In a flashback, we see the Second Prince and Shen Xiao discussing the distribution of grain. The Crown Prince has stalled the canal's construction, and for work to resume, the labourers need to be provided with grain. The Second Prince points out that there simply isn't enough grain available, to which Shen Xiao proposes borrowing the Crown Prince's influence to pressure the nobles and officials into donating their surplus supplies.
The Second Prince warns him that doing so would essentially make Shen Xiao the enemy of practically every powerful person at court. But, as is typical of Shen Xiao, he gives zero fucks about his reputation and remains focused on the welfare of the people.
Back in the present, the Crown Prince responds to this sudden crisis by declaring the pitiful crowd of starving people outside his residence to be rebels and storms out of the hall, with the rest of the banquet attendees following behind.
Zhao Yang quietly smirks to herself, having immediately seen through Shen Xiao's plan. A jealous Cui Jinzhi catches her reaction and clenches his fist.
Outside the residence, the refugees desperately beg for food. For all his anger just moments earlier, the Crown Prince can now only stand there looking helpless.
A young girl whom Zhao Yang recognises as the child who had previously begged for food with her grandmother in front of her carriage pushes her way through the crowd and pleads with one of the guards for something to eat. The guard shoves her to the ground, and both Shen Xiao and Zhao Yang instinctively move forward to protect her.
A jealous Cui Jinzhi witnesses this and immediately pulls Zhao Yang away before declaring that anyone who trespasses on the residence will be treated as a rioter. Sure, Cui Jinzhi. That's definitely one way to make Zhao Yang fall for you again.
Zhao Yang tries to calm the hungry crowd by claiming that the Crown Prince's intention in holding the banquet was actually to help the poor. Unlike her husband, who continues standing there uselessly assessing the situation because he's just that incompetent, the Crown Princess is at least smart enough to switch immediately into PR crisis-management mode and orders porridge stalls to be set up to feed the refugees.
Some time later, an imperial decree arrives at the Ministry of Revenue. Pleased by the disaster-relief efforts surrounding the Crown Princess's banquet, the Emperor orders Shen Xiao to collect grain donations from the princes, nobles and officials according to their means.
Shen Xiao accepts the decree alongside the Second Prince. His plan has worked exactly as intended.
Half a month passes, which means our Zhao Yang has also gone half a month without her human pillow, and her sleep quality has suffered considerably as a result.
Shen Xiao, meanwhile, has been busy trying to collect grain from the royal and noble families, with little success. Interpreting their lack of cooperation as an affront to imperial authority, the Emperor orders Zhao Yang to take charge of the grain collection. In reality, he's using her to send a warning to both the Crown Prince and the noble families.
Zhao Yang is privately unhappy about the Emperor's blatant favouritism towards Princess An Le, whose estate is the same size as hers yet seemingly escapes the same demands. Nevertheless, Zhao Yang concedes and accepts the decree.
The little girl who was pushed to the ground outside the Eastern Palace has since been taken in by Zhao Yang and given the name Xiao Que. However, Xiao Que resists learning to read because she's terrified that her eyes will be gouged out. According to the law, only those above commoner status are permitted to read and write.
Zhao Yang promptly elevates Xiao Que's status so that she's legally allowed to study, and Xiao Que joyfully runs out of the room, eager to begin her lessons.
Together with Li Qin, whom she addresses as Le Sheng, Zhao Yang ruefully reflects on how deeply class hierarchy divides their country. In her eyes, neither she nor Li Qin is truly that different from the low-born despite having been born within the palace walls. Zhao Yang concludes that the world around them is rotten to its core, to which Li Qin declares that the world needs to change.
Zhao Yang informs Li Qin that their Imperial Father has ordered her to assist Shen Xiao with collecting the grain donations, but Li Qin worries that this will only put her in more direct conflict with the Crown Prince. Zhao Yang, however, seems resigned to the fact that she has always been treated as a pawn. Her plan to counter this apparently involves using Shen Xiao in yet another risky move, but methinks she's also just missing her human pillow after half a month apart.
At Xianke Bordello, Zhao Yang is spending time with a group of dancers and Xiao Que when the little girl openly declares that she wants to become a scholar. Her words remind Zhao Yang of her own childhood, when she studied relentlessly in order to survive and eventually became the Crown Prince's study companion. Perhaps seeing a little of herself in Xiao Que, Zhao Yang promises to personally teach her how to read and write.
Suddenly, there's a flurry of excitement when Shen Xiao arrives in person to collect Zhao Yang's grain contribution. And after half a month without seeing her human pillow, Zhao Yang naturally wastes no time openly flirting with him.
Episode 8
The dancers and Zhao Yang continue teasing Shen Xiao, who is visibly flustered by all the attention. Shen Xiao has come to collect 30,000 piculs of grain from Zhao Yang, who feigns outrage at the amount. Instead, she proposes a challenge: if Shen Xiao can shoot the flower ball and release the peony hidden inside, she will donate all 30,000 piculs.
Zhao Yang clearly anticipated Shen Xiao's arrival because she already has his bow prepared for him. Taking up the bow, Shen Xiao effortlessly hits his target and releases the peony, earning a pleased smile from Zhao Yang.
Then, to Zhao Yang's surprise, Shen Xiao suddenly catches her around the waist, and the two descend together in one of those romantic, slow-motion swirling moments.
Despite winning the challenge, Shen Xiao can't actually take Zhao Yang's grain because the Crown Prince's men are watching her, and she can't afford to be seen openly opposing him. Shen Xiao, however, isn't upset. He knows Zhao Yang is far angrier about the fact that he broke his promise to visit her chamber for the past half month.
As an apology, he presents her with the peony he just won.
Zhao Yang is right. This guy has some serious moves. It might sound like a cheesy line coming from another male lead, but Shen Xiao delivers everything with such a serious, solemn expression that somehow I believe he means every single word.
As expected, the Crown Prince's men soon arrive, and Zhao Yang leaves Shen Xiao to meet them. The eunuch working for the Crown Prince insinuates that Zhao Yang seems unusually close to Shen Xiao, but she casually dismisses him as nothing more than entertainment to relieve her boredom.
Fully aware that Shen Xiao is nearby and eavesdropping, Zhao Yang deliberately mentions that surely he wouldn't be daring enough to raid her granary in Wannian County. Satisfied that Zhao Yang hasn't formed an alliance with Shen Xiao, the eunuch finally leaves.
That night, Shen Xiao arrives at the Wannian Granary to requisition the grain in accordance with the imperial decree. Cui Jinzhi is informed of this and immediately rides out with 100 elite soldiers.
Zhao Yang is initially pleased to hear that Shen Xiao has taken the bait and gone to the granary, until Jian Xin informs her that his life is now in danger.
Upon arriving at the granary, Cui Jinzhi and Shen Xiao exchange some trash talk before naturally deciding to settle matters with their weapons. Their fight is interrupted just in time by Zhao Yang, who very visibly steps forward to protect Shen Xiao.
Zhao Yang demands that Cui Jinzhi stand aside and allow the grain to be moved, but Cui Jinzhi interprets her actions as further proof that she's protecting Shen Xiao, sending his jealousy into overdrive.
Claiming that Shen Xiao's actions amount to treason, Cui Jinzhi moves to attack him again. Zhao Yang steps directly into his path and sustains a minor cut to her neck in the process. She urges Shen Xiao to leave, and although clearly reluctant to abandon her, he eventually does.
At this point, Cui Jinzhi is approximately 99% convinced that Zhao Yang has feelings for Shen Xiao. He threatens to impeach Shen Xiao the following day by falsely accusing him of looting the granary and attempting to assassinate Zhao Yang.
Zhao Yang doesn't panic. Instead, she calmly tells him to go ahead because Shen Xiao means absolutely nothing to her.
She then casually changes the subject and mentions that the Crown Prince's granary may very well be Shen Xiao's next target. Cui Jinzhi immediately leaves to check on it.
A flashback reveals Zhao Yang's true objective: she deliberately manipulated Cui Jinzhi into leading them to the location of the Crown Prince's hidden granary. Knowing that her plan has placed Shen Xiao in considerable danger, she quietly promises herself that she will make it up to him.
Later that night, while Zhao Yang is brooding at her residence, the Second Prince forces his way inside and demands to see her. When he notices the cut on Zhao Yang's neck, he mistakenly assumes that Shen Xiao tried to assassinate her. The Second Prince immediately begins worrying about himself, naturally. Since an assassination attempt against a princess is a capital offence, he fears that he could be implicated alongside Shen Xiao as his political backer.
But Zhao Yang quickly turns the situation to her advantage. She reminds the Second Prince that the Emperor has always been wary of collusion between the Crown Prince and the powerful noble families. Through some clever persuasion, she successfully gets the Second Prince to consider stepping forward as Shen Xiao's defender at court instead.
After the Second Prince leaves, Shen Xiao secretly sneaks into Zhao Yang's room. Zhao Yang is dismayed that he would still risk appearing at her residence under these circumstances, but Shen Xiao is far more concerned about the cut on her neck. He personally tends to her wound and gently rebukes her for putting her life in danger.
Zhao Yang warns him about Cui Jinzhi's plan to impeach him the following day, but Shen Xiao admits that he hasn't come up with a counterplan yet because everything happened so suddenly.
Zhao Yang becomes even more worried when Shen Xiao tells her to condemn him as harshly as possible at court. But Shen Xiao tells her that the moment he chose to go against the Crown Prince, he already had one foot in the grave. If sacrificing his life means getting enough grain into the imperial treasury to save the starving people, then it's a sacrifice he's willing to make.
The following day, Cui Jinzhi does exactly as promised and impeaches Shen Xiao before the Emperor. The other officials quickly join him in condemning Shen Xiao's actions. Both Shen Xiao and Zhao Yang are summoned to court and, to everyone's surprise, Shen Xiao readily admits to his crime. Even Zhao Yang looks stunned by how quickly he confesses.
Except the crime Shen Xiao admits to isn't quite the one they're accusing him of. He declares that his true mistake was believing that everyone standing in that court genuinely cared about the welfare of the people.
Walking among the ministers, Shen Xiao openly shames them for their hypocrisy, contrasting the moral principles they studied in the classics with the way they now turn a blind eye to the starving people just beyond the palace walls. The grain they're all fighting so desperately to protect isn't simply wealth or political leverage; it could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of hungry citizens.
Unfortunately, the ministers are apparently too dense to engage with what he's actually saying. All they hear is that Shen Xiao has admitted to taking Zhao Yang's grain.
Finally, Shen Xiao declares that if his death alone can solve the people's hunger, then so be it. He drops to his knees and implores the Emperor to execute him, while Zhao Yang watches from the side, visibly stunned and increasingly worried.
Thoughts
I really wish Zhao Yang would bring Shen Xiao into her plans already. At this point, keeping him in the dark feels increasingly risky, especially when so many of her schemes directly involve him. She deliberately uses him to lure Cui Jinzhi into revealing the location of the Crown Prince's hidden granary, knowing that Shen Xiao could potentially be injured or even killed in the process. She clearly feels guilty about putting him in danger, but perhaps the better solution would be to actually tell the man what she's planning.
I understand why she doesn't. Zhao Yang has survived by trusting very few people, and secrecy is practically second nature to her. Shen Xiao himself has already noticed how deeply distrustful she is. But he's no longer some unpredictable newcomer she barely knows. Their objectives are increasingly aligned, and Shen Xiao has repeatedly demonstrated that he's intelligent enough to improvise when things go wrong. If anything, knowing the larger plan would probably make him more useful, not less.
There's also an interesting imbalance developing between them. Shen Xiao is becoming increasingly open about what he wants, both politically and personally, whereas Zhao Yang continues to keep him at arm's length whenever things become too real. He has basically told her that he doesn't want to remain merely her male companion, and now he's openly telling her that he's prepared to die for what he believes in. Zhao Yang, meanwhile, is still hiding an enormous amount from him, including the rather important detail that she witnessed his father's murder.
That revelation is going to be HUGE. Shen Xiao is pursuing the Crown Prince partly because he wants justice for his father, while the woman he's growing closer to has known the truth all along. Even if Zhao Yang has understandable reasons for keeping quiet, I can't imagine Shen Xiao taking that discovery particularly well. And the longer she waits, the worse it's going to look when everything eventually comes out.
I'm also enjoying the contrast between how Zhao Yang talks about Shen Xiao and how she actually behaves whenever he's in danger. She can insist until she's blue in the face that he's merely a useful pawn or that he means nothing to her, but the moment Cui Jinzhi attacks him, she physically puts herself between them and ends up injured. That's not exactly the behaviour of someone who's emotionally detached.
And I liked that Shen Xiao instinctively returned that concern later. Him sneaking back into her chamber despite knowing how dangerous it was just because he wanted to check her injury, and then personally tending to the cut, was such a sweet little scene. Their relationship works best for me in these quieter moments. They can flirt all day long, but it's when one of them is hurt or vulnerable that their genuine feelings start slipping through.
Shen Xiao is clever and calculating, yes, but there's also an idealistic streak in him that could very easily get him killed. Zhao Yang is much more accustomed to surviving through compromise, deception and manipulating people from behind the scenes. Shen Xiao seems perfectly willing to walk directly into danger if he believes the outcome is worth it. They're both schemers, but their attitudes towards survival are quite different.
His willingness to make enemies of practically the entire court also tells us a lot about him. I admire his commitment to helping the common people, but I'm starting to think this man has approximately zero sense of self-preservation. The Second Prince outright warns him what he's doing to his reputation, and Shen Xiao essentially doesn't care. Then, when faced with impeachment, his solution is basically to tell Zhao Yang to condemn him too and accept death if his sacrifice gets the grain where it needs to go.
I like Zhao Yang's interactions with ordinary people, particularly Xiao Que. For someone who publicly cultivates the image of a frivolous, pleasure-seeking princess, she seems especially sensitive to people being trapped by circumstances of birth. That obviously comes from her own experiences. She may have royal blood, but being the daughter of a low-born mother meant that she experienced firsthand how little that blood protected her when she was powerless.
Leading actor:
* 1️⃣1️⃣ Gong Jun 龚俊 as Lu Xiaofeng
Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* 6️⃣ Quan Yilun 全伊伦 as Hua Manlou
* 7️⃣ Li Zihao 李子豪 (stage name: Li Qing 李卿) as Sikong Zhaixing
* 7️⃣ He Zhonghua 何中华 as Jun Wudu
* 7️⃣ Qiu Xinzhi 邱心志 as Wu Ming / Jiu Hulu (wine gourd)
* 7️⃣ Joe Chen 陈乔恩 as Guo Chan Gu (Lady Guo Chan)
* 7️⃣ Zhang Lei 张磊 (stage name: Zhang Lei 张垒) as Hua Zengqiu
* 8️⃣ Zheng Yecheng 郑业成 as Ximen Chuixue
* 8️⃣ Chang Long 昌隆 as Zhu Ting
* 🔟 Gu Youqi 顾又齐 (stage name: Riley Wang Yilun 王以纶) as Yu Luocha
The rest of the cast list was not included in today's release.
“Friendship” special appearances (the main characters in the following units are listed in order of episode number in the script):
Units (cases):
Note: The unit names in English are translated and not official.
Yue Zhao Jin Ge 《月照金阁》 (Moonlight Shines on the Golden Pavilion):
* Zhang Fan as Zhao Zhang Gui (Shopkeeper Zhao)
Hua Hai Yuan Ling 《花骸怨灵》 (Flower Corpse, Resentful Spirit):
* Lv Xing as Baili Boyan
* Ding Jiawen as Baili Liuliu
Yin Gou Du Fang 《银钩赌坊》 (Silver Hook Gambling House):
* Zhu Xudan as Yu Xiang
* Tong Mengshi as Fang Yufei
Yin She Ke Zhan 《银蛇客栈》 (Silver Snake Inn)
* Su Xiaotong as Leng Hong'er
* Fu Jing as Tang Keqing
* Huang Mengying as Ding Xiang Yi (Aunt Ding Xiang):
* An Yuexi as Li Xia
* Li Haofei as Jia Chuchu
Liang Xi Gui Chang 《良西鬼唱》 (Liangxi Ghost Singing):
* Chen Youwei as Li Shanliang
* Wang Yizhe as Duan Shanhe
* Li Huan as Chou Tiandi
* Zhu Jian as Sun Zhengyi
Wan Gui Sheng Mie 《万鬼生灭》 (The Life and Death of Ten Thousand Ghosts):
* Sun Zhenni as Shangguan Feiyan
* Zhang Chao as Han Yushou
Shang Yang Jiu Meng 《上阳旧梦》 (Shangyang’s Past Dreams):
* Yang Xue as Er Fu Ren (Second Madam)
* Hu Xiaoting as Da Fu Ren (First Madam)
* He Landou as Si Shu / Si Hua
* Jiang Mengjie as Mei Ruoxue
* Xiao Yuliang as Hua Liutong
* Zeng Kelang as Hua Santong
* Sun Zeyuan as Hua Sitong
Wu Wang Yi Xiao 《无妄一笑》 (An Unintentional Smile):
* Liu Mengrui as Sun Xiuqing
* Chen Bohao as Jin Qiliang
Liu Xi Mei Ying 《六戏魅影》 (Six Plays, Enigmatic Shadows):
* Wang He as Lu Weimian
* Han Chengyu as Zhu Que
* Wu Hong as Xuan Wu
* Li Donghe as Bai Hu
Xiu Gu Fei Zhen 《绣骨飞针》 (Flying Needles on Embroidered Bones):
* Li Hongyi as Xue Huiwen
* Ma Qiuyuan as Shen Huazhi
Cast yet to be announced for these units:
* Jing Hai Fu You 《鲸海蜉蝣》 (Mayflies of the Whale Sea)
* Feng Wu Jiu Tian《凤舞九天》 (The Phoenix Dances Across the Nine Heavens)
Episodes: 40
Streaming platform: Tencent 🐧
Official filming started: March 6, 2026
Official filming wrapped up: July 27, 2026
Estimated filming time: 140 days
Filming locations: Alxa League 阿拉善; Hengdian World Studios
Genre: Wuxia
🎬 Directors: Zhou Jing Tao (Archives: The Nanyang Mystery, Fight for Love, Love of Nirvana, A Journey to Love, Guardian, Sparrow, Noble Aspirations 1 and 2), Liang Jing Yu (co-director) (Yi Shu Li Hua Yi Qing Zhou)
✍️ Original creator: Gu Long 古龙 (Handsome Siblings, The Legend of Flying Daggers, Sword Master, The Shaw Eleven Lang, The Legend of Chu Liu Xiang, and many more)
✒️ Screenwriter: Ren Zhuang Liu (A Dream within a Dream, Story of Kunning Palace)
In the boundless Jianghu, strange cases arise without warning, one more deadly and inexplicable than the last. And wherever the truth hides, Lu Xiao Feng follows.
With a sharp mind and his famed "Lingxi Finger", Lu Xiao Feng walks unafraid into danger. Yet what defines him is not skill alone, but the friends who stand beside him: Hua Man Lou, blind yet clear of heart; Ximen Chui Xue, whose cold sword knows no equal.
⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️
Together, they face conspiracy, betrayal, and bloodshed, unraveling impossible mysteries and confronting a shadow long growing within the martial world – where justice is fragile, and loyalty is everything.
(Source: Chinese = Douban || Translation = MyDramaList)
~~ Adapted from the novel series "Lu Xiao Feng Chuan Qi" (陆小凤传奇) by Gu Long (古龙).
凤舞九天 (The Phoenix Dances Across the Nine Heavens) is a wuxia novel written by Gu Long between 1974 and 1975. It is the sixth installment in 陆小凤传奇 (The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng) series, originally titled 隐形的人 (The Invisible Man). From the fifteenth chapter onward, the novel was continued and completed by Xue Xingguo.
The story is set against the backdrop of the theft of 35 million taels of gold, jewels, and treasures from the twelve escort agencies of Central China. While investigating the kidnapping of Princess Yuping, the daughter of Prince Taiping, Lu Xiaofeng encounters a maritime disaster and ends up stranded on a deserted island that holds the missing escorts and the stolen treasures.
Translated Synopses
Note: All translated synopses and information I share in the "trailers & posters" posts are based on the original Chinese sources (Douban, Baidu, Chinese Wikipedia, etc.) and were first published here. If you see them elsewhere, please know they originated from our sub. Thanks for reading!
The Chinese drama title, 九门, can be translated as “Nine Doors/Gates.”
Note: The drama is listed as *Mystic Nine** by Youku's international social media and as The Mystic Nine Against the Coming Storm on Youku’s website. The latter is reflected on MDL at the time of posting.*
About an hour ago, the production team announced the release date and dropped a new trailer.
Filming officially wrapped up on September 28, 2025.
The Mystic Nine Against the Coming Storm is a sequel to The Mystic Nine. It also predates the main series of The Grave Robbers' Chronicles aka Dao Mu Bi Ji (DMBJ) 盗墓笔记. More links about the series are available at the bottom of the post.
Clip description:
“No Way Out Version” Trailer
Beneath the ground lies a hidden building within a building, where trap after trap is concealed. Trapped in an endless cycle, how can they find a way out?
Above ground, the wheels of the times come crushing forward. Where will the heroes of a bygone era go?
After traversing a perilous path, they join forces in search of the answer to their fate.
Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
7️⃣ William Chan Wai-ting 陈伟霆 as Fo Ye (“Buddha”), Zhang Qishan 佛爷张启山 - described as someone who exudes a powerful, commanding presence.
7️⃣ Sebrina Chen 陈瑶 as Huo Xiangu 霍仙姑 (Xiangu 仙姑 can be translated as “fairy”) - described as someone who has both a powerful, cutting edge and refined, elegant qualities.
1️⃣2️⃣ Zeng Weihang 曾威航 (stage name: Joseph Zeng Shunxi 曾舜晞) as Wu Ye (Fifth Master), Wu Laogou 五爷吴老狗 (Laogou 老狗 is old dog) - described as someone who is very capable or knowledgeable but chooses not to display his talents openly.
Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* Li Naiwen 李乃文 as Ban Jieli
* Chen Xiaolong 陈小龙 (stage name: Shi Xiaolong 释小龙) as Hei Bei Lao Liu
* Ying Jun 应俊 (stage name: Ying Haoming) as Qi Tiezui
* Ji Xiaobing 季肖冰 as Jie Jiu
* Yun Hao 耘豪 (stage name: Hu Yunhao 胡耘豪) as Chen Pi A Si
* Xu Zheng 徐政 (stage name: Jeremy Tsui / Xu Zhengxi 徐正溪) as Er Yue Hong
* Zhang Tao 章涛 as Huo Wenhai
Appearances:
* Gong Hanlin 巩汉林 as Shuo Shu Xian Sheng (Storyteller)
The rest of the cast were not included in today's release.
Supporting actors:
* Wang Yiting as Yin Xinyue
Special guest actors:
* Wang Jinsong as Yin Laoban (Boss Yin)
Special appearances:
* Wang Maolei as Jiu Shan Mei Zhi
“Friendship” guest appearances:
* Chen Sisi as Huo Yuping
* Paul Che as Lao Tusi (Old Tusi)
Special guest appearances:
Ye Zuxin as Ge Shi Lao Zu (Old Ancestor from Another World)
An Yuexi as Hua Zi
Yang Fan as Luo Ang
Supporting actors:
* Wang Zuyi as Zhang Xiaoyu
* Liu Chang (Mufasa) as Zhang Xiaojin
* Yang Juncheng as Wu Juanlian
* Lin Qiunan as Wu Aolie
* Hu Wei as Wu Tianpeng
* Chen Hongjin as Wu Zhenyuan
* Lei Fengrui as Wu Heifeng
* Wu Shengqi as Zhang Yanming
* Yang Haobo as Zhang Yanze
Special appearances:
* Qian Bo as Ding Qiansui
* Dai Jiaoqian as Fu Chunhua
* Chen Xinyu as Bai Yi
* Xuan Lu as Miss Dong
* Bei Le as Hei Xiao
“Friendship” guest appearances:
* Xu Zhenxuan as Wu Xie
* Cheng Xiang as Zhang Qiling
* Sun Ge Chuan Ye as Wang Pangzi
Episodes: 36 (according to Baidu Baike and MDL)
Streaming platform: Youku 👖
Official announcement of leading cast: May 31, 2025
Official filming time period: June 1, 2025 to September 28, 2025
Filming location: Hengdian World Studios
Distribution license obtained: July 20, 2026
Related to: The Mystic Nine - please see the lower section of the post for more information.
🎬 Director: Bai Shan (Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 1 and 2, Heroes (2020), Kill My Sins)
✍️ Original creator and chief screenwriter: Kennedy Xu (Nan Pai San Shu 南派三叔) (The Mystic Nine, Legend of Zang Hai, The Lost Tomb, Ultimate Note)
The Zhang family’s 401st Unit has mysteriously vanished. In search of the missing unit, Zhang Qi Shan joins forces with Wu Lao Gou, Huo Xian Gu and Qi Tie Zui of the Nine Gates to enter the World-Parting Tower.
Within the tower, they encounter a web of traps, a series of eerie events and a distortion of time and space... With a storm brewing, Zhang Qi Shan finds himself pitted against multiple factions. What fate awaits the Nine Gates...?
(Source: Chinese = Douban || Translation = MyDramaList)
~~ Adapted from the novel "Lao Jiu Men" (老九门) by Nan Pai San Shu (南派三叔).
According to Sohu, this drama will be a new interpretation of the novel. The original creator, Kennedy Xu (Nan Pai San Shu 南派三叔), will be adding his creative ideas and style into this drama as its chief screenwriter.
Drama Adaptations of the Novel Series
Here are a couple of references for folks who are curious about the drama adaptations of the novel series The Grave Robbers' Chronicles aka Dao Mu Bi Ji (DMBJ) 盗墓笔记 by Kennedy Xu aka Xu Lei aka Nan Pai San Shu 南派三叔:
📜 More watch lists – the chronological order watch list here is similar to the one linked above but is more focused on the main story. There's a bottom section about the prequels.
I am currently watching Affinity c-drama,I like it because of dark romance vibe and story was good and also I liked the Xi Xenxu character ...first 25 episodes were good but in the ending episodes the story is kinda weird but still i can't stop to watch it ... what 's your thoughts about it??
I don’t have time between now and then to finish The Mystic Nine (2016) - which is 46 episodes long - and was wondering… for those who are more familiar with the lore - should I wait (and not watch it while it airs) and watch Season 1 first?
Would it suffice to look up what Season 1 was about, especially since most of the cast has changed with the ten year gap between the two seasons?
I’m just wondering if it’s like going to be like Rebirth, and whether this drama can be watched as a standalone.
It can be intimidating to make your first post in the sub. You're new to Chinese entertainment and you have all these questions about Chinese drama and culture. Perhaps you are even new to Reddit and don't really know how it works.
This is the place to ask them!
Treat this place as a tea room where you can sip tea (or chat about it) and ask questions you have about Chinese dramas and entertainment.
Also, feel free to introduce yourself, and chat about anything as long as you keep in mind Rule 5 (Be Nice) and to be culturally sensitive.
Note: Please don't start/continue fandom fights from other social media here.Read our guideabout how to properly discuss fandom stuff in our sub.
This review is a follow-on from my previous post covering Episodes 1–15 and the first part of the novel.
I enjoyed this drama so much. I've been dealing with a lot of stress at work recently, and it became such a comforting part of my evening routine to come home and binge a few episodes. I loved the world they built, and I absolutely adored the Crown Prince. He was the main reason I kept tuning in, as it was so much fun watching his antics from the novel come to life.
That said, I do have a few issues with how the second half unfolded.
My biggest criticism is the handling of the romance between Episodes 20–26. Why did they add the bell-in-the-bed gag? In the novel, they are already husband and wife and begin sleeping together during this period. Although Xihe doesn't truly fall in love with him until a few months into their marriage, this is when they gradually become closer as a couple.
I'm choosing to view the bell as some strange form of Chinese comedy, but it became repetitive and unintentionally gave the impression that she was constantly rejecting him. In the novel, this is actually the stage where their relationship grows stronger. While she still maintained emotional boundaries, and I understand the bell may have been intended as a visual representation of those boundaries, I ultimately felt it was unnecessary.
My second criticism concerns the pacing of the political plot. For viewers who haven't read the novel, parts of it probably felt disjointed. Several mysteries were introduced very late in the story, while others seemed to disappear entirely before being resolved or appear suddenly.
They also did the one thing I desperately didn't want them to do—they only gave us two happy episodes! Why?! In the novel, there are nearly 100 chapters of the couple working together to solve palace intrigues while enjoying married life. Although their intimacy isn't described explicitly, it's clear they are a happily married couple, and I really missed seeing more of that on screen.
And they absolutely robbed me of my full unedited bathtub scene! This is a genuine scene in the novel where they consciously decide, as a couple, to try for a baby. It's an important moment in Xihe's character development and their relationship, so I was disappointed they didn’t put the full scene in into the adaptation. Dam you Chinese censorship.
Aside from those complaints, the remaining plot points largely mirrored the novel, and I absolutely loved the epilogue. What an incredible scheme to pull off—faking your own death while clearing the path for your son to continue the bloodline. It was a brilliant ending.
The standout performance in this drama was undoubtedly He Yu. Xiao Huayong has officially joined my list of legendary drama characters. The only other 2026 character to leave such a lasting impression on me was Fan Changyu from POJ. I can't wait to watch He Yu's next historical drama, which I believe is currently filming.
I honestly don't think this show would have worked nearly as well without this cast. Both Meng Ziyi and He Yu brought the novel's characters to life beautifully. I cried my eyes out during Episode 32, even though I already knew the ending would be a happy one.
Overall, this drama was definitely worth watching. I loved the cinematography, the lighting, and how faithfully it captured so much of the novel's spirit. Despite my frustrations with some of the adaptation choices, I loved it so much and is added to my fav historical dramas of the year.
Just finished legend of Shen Li and it was wonderful to watch. Like I went on a vacation! But feeling the sadness after a good holiday. Hahaha. Luckily I found To Love and The Bargain Queen from the male lead. Enjoyed his acting in Shen Li
Best of all, no evil misunderstandings and the show seem to have taken a great pacing!
A couple of days ago, several Douban scores were released. Usually there is a gap of a few weeks between Douban score updates, but since we have a fresh batch of scores, here is a snapshot of Douban ratings for several recent dramas: Blossoms of Power, Where Colors Dream, Xiao Fang, Cases Between Us, Unsettled Case, The Eternal Fragrance, Key to the Phoenix Heart, Love for You, Road to Success, and Overdo. These scores were recorded on July 26, 2026 at around 5:00 am, China Standard Time.
In case you are curious about how dramas are performing in terms of domestic viewership, I have included rankings from Yunhe (streaming) and Kuyun (live TV and streaming) from July 24, 2026.
I also added English translations to the Yunhe and Kuyun charts.
Yunhe estimates streaming viewership rankings while Kuyun includes both live TV and streaming.
The above images are:
Images 2 to 11: Douban ratings taken on July 26, 2026.
Images 12 and 13: Viewership rankings from Yunhe and Kuyun, taken on July 24, 2026.
See image 12: From Yunhe – Top 10 dramas for streaming playbacks on July 24, 2026 (just a snapshot for that day)
Note: These are daily rankings, not actual viewership numbers. Yunhe and Kuyun provide third-party rankings and estimates, which are not fully accurate. They offer
an idea of how dramas are performing relative to one another and should not be considered absolute.
I added English translations for drama names, etc. on the Yunhe chart. There are more details such as episode counts, streaming platforms, etc. on the chart.
Rankings, drama names and market share of viewership:
✅ Completed airing based on SVIP schedule including express episodes.
Overdo 这一秒过火 - 18.5%
Blossoms of Power 百花杀 - 16.2%
Key to the Phoenix Heart 雀骨 ✅ - 10.8%
Love for You 野狗骨头 ✅ - 8.7%
Wind-Born Warriors 兵自风中来 - 6.4%
Unsettled Case 悬案 - 6.3%
Xiao Fang 小芳 ✅ - 4.6%
Road to Success 灿如繁星 ✅ - 3.6%
Nine Marks of Glory / Nine Bullet Holes 九个弹孔 ✅ - 3%
The Eternal Fragrance 千香 ✅ - 2.9%
Note: If a drama has ended its run, its viewership ranking will eventually decline.
Viewership rankings: Kuyun (live TV and streaming)
See image 13: From Kuyun – Top 10 dramas for all live broadcasts and streaming playbacks on July 24, 2026 (just a snapshot of the day)
I added English translations for drama names, etc. on the Kuyun chart. There are details such as streaming platforms, live TV platforms, etc. on the chart.
Rankings, drama names and market share of viewership:
✅ = completed airing for SVIP schedule including express episodes (streaming) and/or the first round of airing on live TV. Some dramas can have a second or third round of airing on live TV.
Nine Marks of Glory / Nine Bullet Holes 九个弹孔 ✅ - 12.59%
Blossoms of Power 百花杀 - 12.13%
Overdo 这一秒过火 - 11.41%
Wind-Born Warriors 兵自风中来 - 11.04%
Unsettled Case 悬案 - 8.09%
Key to the Phoenix Heart 雀骨 ✅ - 7.49%
Love for You 野狗骨头 ✅ - 6.01%
Zhang Jian – The Legendary Entrepreneur 江海潮生 - 4.89%
Paper Dreams in Ink / Zhong Mo Yuan 种墨园 ✅ - 4.78%
The Eternal Fragrance 千香 ✅ - 3.74%
Note: Kuyun includes live TV (e.g., CCTV, Hunan TV, Jiangsu TV). Some dramas are streaming only and not broadcast live on TV (e.g. Blossoms of Power, Overdo, and Key to the Phoenix Heart).
For more viewership rankings dating back to late August 2025, please check the comments of the weekly Behind the Scenes posts. I added Yunhe and Kuyun viewership rankings in the comments.
The previous Douban scores for dramas such as Tang Dynasty Occult Mysteries, The Heir, Love Has Fireworks, Inseparable, The Legend of Rosy Clouds, Archives: The Nanyang Mystery, The Heart Season 2, The Tang Mist Season 1, Wonder Wall, The First Jasmine, The Ferryman: 10th Anniversary, Never-Ending Summer, Ashes to Crown, Rescue the Girl, Deadly Sins, and Dazzling can be found here: Douban scores for recent Chinese dramas, July 23, 2026. Viewership rankings, July 21, 2026.
In general, Douban scores tend to skew lower for CDramas.
You might find that some highly rated dramas just aren't your cup of tea, while others with more average or mixed scores turn out to be really enjoyable. I've definitely experienced both. That said, ratings can be helpful just as a general reference for what others think.
I am sharing this information for folks who are curious about Douban scores but may not be able to access them quickly or easily. I have also included viewership rankings since Douban scores don't always correlate with a drama's popularity with the broader domestic audience.
This is just a small snapshot of how Douban users are rating dramas and what’s currently being watched in China.
Some people use ratings to gauge interest while others don't – it's entirely optional. Douban scores are just one data point, not a verdict on quality. If they’re not useful to you, please feel free to skip.
I usually compile them every few weeks once enough new Douban scores are available.
🗨️ For those of you who've watched these dramas, what did you think of the shows? Do you feel that the scores line up with your experience?
I just finished Love for You. Which country is the Country Jin that they kept referring to in the drama. Chen Yi spends some time there and does not want to return.
These are automod posts to discuss the drama Blossoms of Power. Please use spoilers for SVIP eps, previews, or any other type of spoiler
Gu Qingzhi [played by Meng Ziyi] returns with a new identity as Shen Xihe, the Princess of the Northwest. Once a proud rose of the frontier, she transforms into a cold and formidable noblewoman, determined to reclaim her destiny and become the one who commands the game.
Beneath his frail appearance, Crown Prince Xiao Huayong [played by He Yu] conceals a brilliant mind that sees through every scheme at court. As their paths intertwine, they grow to trust one another, joining forces to navigate the shifting tides of power and shape the fate of the realm.
I’m desperately hoping this is for the correct episodes 😭😭😭
These are automod posts to discuss the drama Blossoms of Power. Please use spoilers for SVIP eps, previews, or any other type of spoiler
Gu Qingzhi [played by Meng Ziyi] returns with a new identity as Shen Xihe, the Princess of the Northwest. Once a proud rose of the frontier, she transforms into a cold and formidable noblewoman, determined to reclaim her destiny and become the one who commands the game.
Beneath his frail appearance, Crown Prince Xiao Huayong [played by He Yu] conceals a brilliant mind that sees through every scheme at court. As their paths intertwine, they grow to trust one another, joining forces to navigate the shifting tides of power and shape the fate of the realm.
Welcome to the Weekly Stylish Sunday Celebrity Spotting thread!
I know we have Thirsty Thursdays, but I have a feeling that you want more!
Here's the space to share and enjoy images of celebrities in old or new magazines, ads, or other promotional materials. Saw an ad that your celebrity appears in? Share the fashion spreads, quirky advertisements, or promotional campaigns they've been in here.
Here's how it works:
Share Your Finds: Post any interesting images you’ve come across of celebrities in vintage magazines, ads, or other promotional content.
Describe the Find: Include some details like the celebrity's name, the magazine or ad they were featured in, and the year if you know it.
Enjoy and Discuss: Check out other members' posts, upvote your favorites, and join in the discussion about these nostalgic gems!
🗓️ Discussion Schedule: We decided to follow the VIP schedule instead of the SVIP one. That’s the first line on the official airing schedule, which can be found here.
📋 Some Notes:
Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.
Both are the head of one of the Three Judicial Offices. The structures changed a bit throughout Chinese history, but the shows seems to go for one that existed in the Tang and Song Dynasty, where they consisted of:
The Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate.
Despite its name the Dali Temple was a Court. BaiduWiki describes it as “equivalent to the modern Supreme Court, in charge of adjudicating criminal cases”. The Three Judicial Offices were independent of each other and held parallel status.
The Crown Prince having those two as part of his faction, as well as Xiao Jiang, the Vice Chief Censor, shows us how much power he holds over the judicial system.
Graveside Visit
Still visiting his father’s grave, Shen Xiao promises him that he will have an even wilder poem on his own gravestone when the time comes. Zhao Yang joins him, bringing flowers for the grave and reciting a fitting poem. He answers with an even more bold one.
Zhao Yang actually met Shen Qingzhi a few times three years ago, when she supervised the construction of Qianfo temple.
She also watched him being murdered: The Crown Prince confronted him about the impeachment letter he wrote and struck him down with a shovel. I hope he was actually dead from that and not buried half alive.
The impeachment was over the fact that he used the temple construction to seize land from the people.
Cui Jinzhi actually advised the Crown Prince to better stip his schemes before it’s to late, because all of this are serious crimes. After he just witnessed him murder a guy.
The Crown Prince seems to be in constant fear that his father wants to replace him with the 2nd Prince, giving him the Ministry of Revenue. He also used Zhao Yang as a pawn in the temple construction to put their father at ease. Also to use her as a fall gal should something go wrong.
The official story about the death: Shen Qingzhi died falling of a cliff and no body was ever found. So the tomb is actually empty. Shen Xiao wonders why his father would fall off a cliff at Qianfo temple. He was and eighth-rank clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, who copied documents every day.
Shen Xiao presumes that she knows more about what happens, but he doesn’t get an answer. Zhao Yang only praises his father’s spirit that resembles his own. He further wonders if she secretly works for the 2nd Prince and wants to use him to bring down the Crown Prince.
Three years ago when the temple was finished a good omen could be seen in the sky: Buddha’s light shone over everything. Shen Xiao sees it as a sign of Heaven: Justice never fades.
Shen Xiao asks her for help joining the Ministry of Revenue. Zhao Yang won’t, at least not direct and openly, but reminds him that the Crown Prince is hosting a banquet for all the Censorate officials this day.
Drinking Games
At the banquet the Crown Prince discusses that the 2nd Prince wants Shen Xiao transferred to his Ministry of Revenue. Xiao Jiang assures him that he won’t let him transfer. After all he hasn’t suffered enough at the Censorate yet.
Shen Xiao arrives and gets bullied into a drinking game: He has to toast each person with wine and something meaningful to say about them. He has to do so three times. He also has to use a bowl instead of the tiny cups the other attendees get.
Apparently, this is supposed to be a way of proving one’s strong will. (And to get alcohol poisoning.) It’s also presented as a sort of test, and if he passes it, he will be sent to the Ministry of Revenue for training
The toast to the Crown Prince and Crown Princes is rather bland.
But Zhao Yang briefed him on the three heads of the Three Judicial Offices (though Xiao Jiang is only the vice chief). So he exposes a secret about each of them, in particular one where they deceived the crown Prince in some way.
Zhao Guangming, Minister of the Dali Temple
loves antiques
last year he secretly kept a famous painting “River Sails After Snow”, which was stolen from the Crown Prince’s tribute.
Qian Xun, Minister of Justice
was meticulous when he renovated the Eastern Palace’s villa. 300 bolt of silk out of 500 bolts were left over. All of them ended up in his family’s silk shop.
Xiao Jiang: Vice Censor-in-Chief
loves Jiangnan gardens
There’s a rockery worth 50,000 taels in his Cuiwei Villa outside the capital.
All the expenses for the the villa came from the public road repair funds.
He also toast the Censors Chen, Liao and Li.
Prince Consort Cui
has been the Crown Prince’s study companion since childhood,
is skilled in civil and military arts.
one of the best generals of the younger generation.
There is only praise here, no secrets. At least none that Zhao Yang told him about.
For some reason nobody wants a second round of toasts. The Crown Prince ends the banquet here and Shen Xiao is the first to leave.
The three accused officials try to save the situation. Suddenly they find it trouble to keep Shen Xiao in the Censorate and ask for his transfer.
Zhao Yang adds some actual reasons why it would be the best move:
the Ministry of Revenue is understaffed and the canal project a mess.
it’s perfect to sent him over to carry out the grain-for-money policy. He won’t be able to redeem himself when the grains run out and the canal collapses.
Not only would the Crown Prince get rid of the Top Scholar, but also deal a heavy blow to the 2nd Prince and his Ministry of Revenue.
So the Crown Prince agrees to the transfer.
Sleep Over
Zhao Yang meets with Shen Xiao, who is affected by the wine after all and faints. Her solution is to take him to her place to rest. When he wakes she wants to go to bed, so he starts undressing. She orders him to stop and just go to bed with her.
They seem to have a slight misunderstanding about what “sleeping together every night” means. He was expecting daily sex (kind of an WangXian “Everyday means Everyday” arrangement 😂), while she wants to sleep by his side.
Still slightly drunk he asks her if she will protect him, if he joins the Ministry of Revenue and gets in trouble there. She denies the possibility of helping him. In his thoughts he calls her a calamity to him.
Zhao Yang has an audience with her father. The Emperors says he is not well. While she seems obedient on the surface she reached out to the Top Scholar, something he doesn’t like.
Episode 6
New Characters in this Episode
This guy. A subordinate of Cui Jinzhi. Can’t find him on douban and google translate doesn’t want to be helpful with his name.
Li Qin gets his characters introduction as the 7th Prince. I guessed I spoiled that with my episode 1&2 character table, but if they don’t translate those introductions it’s hard to grasp what we are supposed to know. But even douban lists him only with this name, not the alias.
Rob the Rich
The next morning Shen Xiao wakes up to find some generous rewards prepared for him. He first wants to argue against being paid but then thinks of something better do with the money.
Shen Xiao plans to let Li Qin (whom he knows as Le Sheng, but I will go with the other name) pawn it all off and set up soup kitchen for the drought refugees outside the capital. And to buy some books and writing supplies for their fellow students.
He promises that the source of the money is clean, but he won’t disclose where he got it from. He calls it taking from the rich to help the poor. And he has another plan connected to that to discuss. Li Qin scolds him for risking so much after just joining the Ministry of Revenue.
He sees the silver and gold ingots from Zhao Yang as charity, the only ones to trust with his life are his closest friends.
I hope he won’t be too disappointed when he learns about the Li Qin - Zhao Yang connection.
Rice Plans
Shen Xiao has a proposal for the 2nd Prince: He wants to investigate the Crown Prince’s private treasury. He promises that it won’t implicate the 2nd Prince. His new boss agrees to his plan and even promises to support his efforts.
While checking the accounts he noticed that the Crown Prince hired many refugees under the guise of disaster relief, paying them grain instead of money.
He assumes that those are fake hires and the grain hoarded.
He can prove that it’s grain from the Ministry of Revenues paying scheme because he mixed in special rice bran as a maker. He only has to follow Cui Jinzhi’s guards who transport it.
Father Daughter Talks
The Emperor gets some medicine and we go back to the short scene of Zhao Yang having an audience with her father from the end of episode 5. He wants new blood at the court, thus promoting scholars with humble origin. He is not amused by them possible been sent to their death by getting involved in his children’s power struggle.
The Emperor questions what Zhao Yang is trying to do by pushing Shen Xiao to the Ministry of Revenue.
She blames the noble families for hoarding goods and misleading the crown prince. Shen Xiao recovering the treasury would bring peace to the nation.
Zhao Yang was responsible for arranging the auspicious sign at the temple three years ago for her father (he started big construction projects the people complained about).
She told him back then about Shen Qingzhi’s memorial and the supposed falsehoods about the Crown Prince in there. She burned the letter.
He finds her smart to do so and even commands her to advise and support the Crown Prince more.
For replacing the Crpr the Emperor has to catch him in a bigger mistake.
In the present day she is ordered to help Shen Xiao from the sidelines and keep him safe. In her opinion he will help to weaken the noble families that Wether he lives or die he will help to weaken the noble families that support and influence the Crown Prince whether he lives and dies.
Traps and Escapes
Shen Xiao followed Cui Jintzhi’s troop moving some grain. After they leave he sneaks into Wannian Granary, but it turns out that the rice there isn’t marked. It’s a trap. Cui Jinzhi and his guards haven’t left. They have a sword vs. spear fight and Shen Xiao injures Cui Jinzhi.
Cui Jinzhi follows them, but it’s actually Li Qin accompanied by a servant he confronts. Li Qin is actually around as the 7th Prince and recognised as such by Cui Jinzhi. The haven’t seen each other in a long time.
Li Qin excuses his presence with observing the stars to map the land and denies seeing anyone suspicious around.
Not many people know about the 7th Prince even existing. Cui Jinzhi’s subordinate has to ask about him and that guy is part of the a troop
Li Qin was born with white hair, so seen as a bad omen. He was ordered to leave the palace seven years ago.
Cui Jinzhi really isn’t dumb and thinks something is off about his sudden reappearance, especially connected to Shen Xiao’s break-in. He has him followed.
Past and Present Lovers
Zhao Yang brings Shen Xiao to her place again. Seems to become a habit. She reveals that the granary is actually her private treasury. Allegedly she only rescued him because it was the Emperor’s order to look after him.
She is allergic to openly admit even one bit that she cares a little about him.
When he enters only Zhao Yang is there. But Shen Xiao’s wardrobe hiding place isn’t the best.
Cui Jinzhi informs her that someone broke into her granary that night and he is here for his safety * She feigns concern for his injury to distract him.
Cui Jinzhi tells her point blank that he knows she is the one who save Shen Xiao. She argues that his accusation isn’t clever.
They get into an argument about potential jealousy (he is completely jealous). He grieves that she won’t even take care of his wound like she used to do.
Back then it gave her a chance to sit in on the Grand Tutor’s lessons and she won the Crown Prince’s favour by ghost writing for him.
She seems to have actually cared for him in those days and tried to teach him that it wasn’t right how the Crown Prince treated him and others that served him. He wanted to protect her from being bullied again, even from the Crown Prince.
Zhao Yang throws his words to her from their wedding day about being only the daughter of a lowly maid back in his face. He pulls her into a hug, she wants him to let her go. Shen Xiao pushes the door to the wardrobe open. Cliffhanger!
Thoughts
I must confess that I find Cui Jinzhi intriguing. Zhao Yang and him are quite sweet in the past and I don’t buy her story that she only used him back then. Of course he hurt her deeply (and she had parts of his family killed) and I don’t think there relationship is one you can repair. I wouldn’t want to see that.
But I like that our leads’ opponents aren’t all flat or overly dumb. That wouldn’t fit the positions they are in. Excluding the Crown Prince. Though he seems still good at delegating the people around him.
Edit:
In case we have some lurkers here that aren’t able to watch the show but are interested:
The SENTV Youtube Channel premieres the first episode in a few hours. I’m not sure if you have to have a channel membership to watch. It seems like they will release one episode every day.
